Customer Reviews

Great Tenor Arias

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This, the young Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez' third album, includes more of the bel canto repertory with which he has risen to international fame. Hearing Lindoro's scene from L'Italiana in Algeri, to cite one example, will make the first-time listener realize why. The tenor's firm, even tone, agility in coloratura and secure high notes--all the way up to a solid high D in one selection--are still sources of wonder.

"Great Tenor Arias" also includes forays into other areas of the repertory, from operas which Florez has not yet sung and may never sing on stage. Indeed, one hopes that no one talks him into trying Verdi's Duke of Mantua any time soon--his rendition of "La Donna e Mobile" is solid, if a bit lacking in charm, but the entire role would surely overtax his vocal resources. Puccini's Rinuccio, from the evidence of Florez' take on the aria from Gianni Schicchi that concludes this somewhat short (less than an hour of music) CD, would be a more comfortable fit, but he is already too much of a marquee name to take on what is basically a supporting role.

If this CD as a whole leaves a slightly unsatisfying impression, it is because the experiments by Florez remain just that--vocal explorations rather than performances undertaken out of deep dramatic or musical conviction. In addition, some of the more obscure music, Cimarosa and early Verdi in particular, is not of the highest quality, and here Florez' comparative inability to characterize vocally becomes a liability. All in all, despite the outstanding singing, a newcomer to this tenor's art would probably be better served by starting with one of his two earlier albums, the first of Rossini, the second Bellini/Donizetti.

And rightly he will get to the top.
JDF's Great Tenor Arias are not meant for casual listening. The choice or songs are a bit on the 'rare' side - even the aria from Du Fille di Regiment is an 'alternative' aria to the well-known one with 9 High-Cs.
The timbre of JDF may cause certain 'fatigue' with over-listening, so I wonder if I will be one for his solo recital, at least judging from the studio effect on his CDs.
That said, this is a singer with such precision in nearly all aspectsof the voice production that you will have a really hard time to pick out any of his vocal flaws. Sometimes, it sounds much like a 'human violin' (borrowing from the idea of violinist Joshua Bell's 'Voice of the Violin').
Track 7 and track 1 are both more well-known arias. JDF's singing is simply seamless, though more 'character' may be built into the two arias to enhance the different moods. While track 1 is rightfully melancholic, track 7 calls for more emotional excess in the outburst of the Duke of Mantua against female fickleness.
IF JDF could combine his immaculate signing technique with drama, he will definitely be an unsurpassable singer.

JUAN DIEGO FLOREZ es sin duda alguna el mejor tenor de la actualidad en su repertorio (Rossini y ciertos roles belcantistas) y sus trabajos discograficos siempre consiguen los mas fervientes aplausos. Yo mismo, ya elogie en su dia aqui sus dos registros anteriores en solitario con este mismo sello.
Pero ahora, en este tercer trabajo, la magia no se produce de igual manera que las veces anteriores: la voz sigue estando ahi, bellisima y con un alarde de agudos bastante importante...Pero el repertorio no es el mas adecuado a la vocalidad de Florez, por lo que le ofrece escasas posibilidades de lucimiento. Un repertorio como este, en la voz de un tenor desconocido que comienza pudo haber sido interesante, pero en la voz de un tenor ya consagrado como es Florez, deja una sensacion de vacio bastante grave. Habra que esperar al cuarto (ya se anuncian "Canciones latinoamericanas" en lo que puede ser un interesante cambio de registrio) para ver si se vuelve a producir la magia.
CARLO RIZZI y la orquesta rinden a un buen nivel, mucho mayor que la orquesta y el director del disco anterior de Florez.

This young tenor is a worthy successor to Carreras, he will be a superb singer.

This albumn is quite good. In addition to his usual Rossini, Bellin, and Donizetti repertoire, Mr. Florez adds Gluck, Puccini, Verdi, and a few others, which generally sound pleasant enough. However, this experiment highlights the fact that Mr. Florez's forte remains in the bel canto tradition. When he sings Rossini or Bellini, the voice is much more vibrant and exciting, and the interpretation much more distinguished. With the other types of repertoire, the singing is good but unremarkable. The Orphee aria from Gluck is again pleasant, but not quite right (stylistically off). The major disappointment is La donna e mobile, which the listener has already been treated with so many other, and better versions, so it's strange why Mr. Florez would choose to record it for this album, when the piece is clearly not what he is necessarily suited to sing. Despite this misstep, I would still recommend this album, especially if you have enjoyed Mr. Florez before. If you are new to Mr. Florez, get his Rossini or Una Furtiva Lagrima albums first.

I eagerly await Mr. Florez to record more Rossini complete operas rather than recitals.

Juan Diego Flores is a tenor who seems to be getting more attention, and he deserves the attention he is receiving since he is an excellent performer and has been releasing enjoyable recordings. His latest release, titled GREAT TENOR ARIAS has three strengths. First, he includes a few standards. In the case of this collection, he includes "J'ai Perdu Mon Euridice" from Orfeo and Euridice, "La Donna E Mobile" from Rigoletto and "Fierenze E Come" from Gianni Schicchi. His "J'ai Perdu" and "Fierenze" can hold a candle to other tenors who perform the same works. His "La Donna E Mobile" is not spectacular, but it is probably difficult fro any tenor to do anything new with this familiar aria. The second strength is the variety of works by Rossini as well as arias by Donizetti and Cimarosa. Flores' voice seems created for this style. Finally, for me the vocal treat that makes this recording a must is his version of Leopold's Act I aria "Loin De Son Amie Vivre" from La Juive. Normally tenors select the better known "Rachel, Qunad Du Seigneur" of Eleazar, which would probably not suit Flores' vocal abilities. Flores' rendition reminds us that this great opera, which seems to be making a comeback, is a two tenor opera and Flores may want to consider singing it on stage if he has not already done so.

This collection will be at home in any Italian opera lover's collection and certainly shows us that a young tenor with great vocal gifts is certain to entertain us for many years to come.

As I have with other tenor efforts reviewed in this space I preface my remarks with the caveat that aside from the technical merits, the selections in a CD devoted to aria recitals of a specific genre weigh heavily on how I rate what I am listening to. Can I recommend it for the average opera listener - as opposed to asking whether it is technically meritorious, or how it might pass the sniff test of the cognoscenti or high brow music critics. There is little to be critical of in this third offering by Peruvian Juan Diego Flórez's. He is a fine tenor with an agile voice, who sings with great passion, wonderful diction and range - none more so than when he reaches for and hits the highs associated with the roles and music written for bel canto or tenore di grazia. I leave it to others to coach stylistically, for me it's a simple question: can I put this CD on and listen to it and enjoy it, and under what set of circumstances can I enjoy it most? It bears repeating: a tenor is well-suited for the opera house, without a microphone, belting out arias that fill a hall and make one's jaw drop in awe of the sheer power that a strong tenor can conjure. Behind a microphone, however, in a studio, as much as a tenor may want to strut his stuff, it can be dangerous to direct such power at a microphone, and a producer should ask if, maybe, what is being offered isn't a little bit too much. In this case, it's borderline. While I found the mix satisfying and enjoyed most of Florez' strengths -- Rossini and Donizetti - I enjoyed them as much for the familiar orchestration that accompanies these composers, as his delivery. Accompanied by the Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Carlo Rizzi conducting, Flórez makes a satisfying effort in this outing and proves that he is a tenor to be reckoned with and will be a much sought after presence for roles suited to his wonderful voice and youth. Here, in "Great Tenor Arias" I enjoyed the voice and marveled at its power and clarity. I was less enthusiastic for the mood it created, wishing for something geared more toward the casual living room listener than the opera hall audience. Even with these caveats, however, I still recommend this CD from DECCA, if for no other reason than if you haven't heard him, this CD will be a fitting introduction. (PJW)

Sr. Florez has done it again! This third collection is aptly titled "Great Tenor Arias" for multiple reasons. Not only are there some of the tenor standards such as "La donna e mobile" (Rigoletto) and Eccomi finalmente ... Feste? Pompe? Omaggi? Onori?" (La Fi figlia del reggimento), but there are arias that are seldom recorded but which merit the exquisite handling of Sr. Florez. I would not have associated him with Gluck's "J'ai perdu mon Euridice (Orfeo et Euridice), for example, but his higher tenor is a perfect match for the role.

Every aria is perfomed with full-throated perfection. He does not "slide" into the high notes but attacks them dead on every time. His mid range is perfectly controlled and the vibrato in his voice sends chills up my spine in a number of places.

Sr, Florez continues to fulfill his promise of a long and brilliant career ahead. Bravo! And then some.

Spectacular voice. Right up there with Bjoerling, Corelli, and Pavarotti. Who else can now sing Daughter of the Regiment?

Bought this as a gift for my son who is taking opera lessons. He loved it especially because he is a tenor.